Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-07-15
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC.

The few members OF the G. A. r. who
are decrying and abusing President
Cleveland, it must be remembered, have
political axes to grind and selfish ends to
subserve. At the organization of this
order, politics were banished by the
trainers of its constitution. A Democrat,
General Stevenson, was the founder Of
the order, while Democrats and Republi-
cans alike compose its roster. The pur-
poses OF the organization, as we under
stand them to be, are exclusively sociable
and charitable in their nature. But GER
tain men have joined simply and solely
for selfish motives. They care nothing
for the welfare of the order except for
the political benefits to be derived there
from. They are men enriched by this
worlds goods who have allied them
selves to the organization, not for any
charitable or social reasons, but for the
purpose OF subserying their politi-
cal ambition and for whatever noto-
riety is to be gained by their con-
nection with it. They have no care for
the personal welfare of their old COM
rades, but seek their society to further
their own selfish ends. In defiance OF
the constitution OF the q. A. R., and in
disregard OF the wishes OF the great ma
iority OF the brave men who have joined
the order out of pure and honest motives,
they crowd themselves to the front and
bring dlscredit upon others. Democrats
and Republicans alike freely pay their
portion of the revenue collected to pay
the pensions voted the old soldiers who
fought and bled to preserve the union,
because they love and esteem the men
who hazarded their lives for a noble
cause. The people, without regard to
party affiliations, not only applaud the
veterans when they assemble together
but give their moral support and SUBJ
stantial contributions. The people owe
q debt of gratitude to the ex-soldiers
which Democrats and Republicans alike
willingly contribute to the national gov
ernment to nay.
No man can or will question for a mo-
ment the political action of individual
members of the G. A. R., be he Demo-
crat or Republican, but the official acts
Of the officers of the association are
proper subjects of comment and should
be condemned when improper. The re-
cent attempt of Fairchild, the command
ing general, to make the order an adjunct
to the Republican party, deserves the
seyerest condemnation, not only from the
press, but also at the hands OF every
member of the q. A. r. General Fair
child has become inflated from the fact
that through the public prints his name
has been several times mentioned in
connection both with the Presidential
and Vice Presidential nomination. To
show his Importance and keep himself
prominently before the people he has
taken occasion to officially criticise and
condemn official acts of the President.
For this he has received applause, but it
has all come from the sectional haters or
the bloody shirt blatherskites. There
are others, a very few in number, in ac-
cord with Fairchild, and if the G. a. r.
desires to retain the affection and esteem
with which it has been and still is re-
garded by the people it should, at the
first opportunity, take occasion to purge
itself of the selfish members who are at
tempting to use it as political organiza-
ton.